Leather topped rubber footwear



a//ffez/e (Zwan/a7? Dec. 22, 1942. c FERRETTIE LEATHER TOPPED RUBBRFOOTWEAR Filed May 19, 1941 vPatented Dec. 22, 1942 2,306,306 LEATHERTOPPED RUBBER FOOTWEAR come Femme, namur, ma., signor to I MishawakaRubber and Woolen Manufactulng Company, Mishawaka,

of Indiana Ind., a corporation Application May 19, 1941, Serial No.394,043

6Claims.

My invention relates to footwear of the type wherein a rubber footportion is provided with a leather top or upper which is secured alongits lower margin to the top margin of the rubber foot portion,and hasreference more particular- 1y to the method of and means for securingthese two parts together.

Heretofore, in making this type of footwear, it has been customary toattach the leather top or upper to the rubber foot portion after thelatter is vulcanized, a substantial width along the lower margin of theleather top being applied externally over a corresponding width alongthe upper margin of the rubber foot portion and secured thereto by anumber of rows of stitching passing through the overlapped margins.

These previous structures, however, have a number of disadvantages. Thejoining section is undesirably heavy with an uncomfortable ridge insidethe shoe due the rubber margin that is exposed therein and as this edgeis presented upwardly it interferes annoyingly in sliding the foot intothe shoe and in the rubbing action thereagainst that occurs in insertingthe foot is likely to be pulled away sufciently froml the shoe wall tocause even greater annoyance and discomfort. Also in these priorstructures the stitching was exposed and unprotected at the outer sideof the shoe and these stitches, as well as the lower edge of the leatherupper were exposed to scuillng. Various expedients have been resorted toin order to protect the exposed stitches and the lower edge of theleather, such as covering these portions with an added layer of rubberbut these expedients usually increased the bulkness of the joint and didnot lend themselves to simplicity and economy of construction orneatness of appearance.

The principal objects of my invention are to simplify the constructionand improve the serviceability and appearance of footwear of the typeabove referred to; to insure a strong and dependable connection of theleather upper to the rubber foot portion without bulkiness; to provide asmooth comfortable surface at the joint inside the shoe and neatfinished appearance at the outside; to thoroughly protect the stitchesagainst external exposure and scufilng; to incorporate theseimprovements in the structure without extra or special parts or addedexpense; and to facilitate the manufacture of the shoe as a whole-theseand other objects being 55 to the upper edge of y accomplished aspointed out hereinafter and as shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich Fig. l is a perspective view of an article of footwear constructedin accordance with my invention, portions thereof being broken away todisclose details of the construction;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the leather top asit is assembled with attached foot lining for making a shoe inaccordance with this invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional `view on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a similar section taken on the line l-I of Fig. 1.

l5 Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I0 indicates therubber foot portion of the shoe and I I the leather top or upper towhich the foot portion I0 is attached. The leather upper II may be ofconventional form either composed of separate quarters I2 joinedtogether at the back under a back stay I3 as indicated in Fig. 2 or thetwo quarters may be portions of a single piece of leather that iscontinuous across the back of the shoe. A bellows tongue Il is securedto the forward edges of the quarters I2,

both of which have matching eyelets I5 at intervals down the front forlacing the quarters together over portion of this bellows tongue, whichis interposed between and connects the separated lower ends of thequarters I2 at the front so that there is a continuous margin around thebottom of the leather upper, is secured, like the lower portions of thequarters I2, to the top of the rubber foot portion I0.

The rubber foot portion I0 is also for the most part of conventionalconstruction consisting generally of insole I6, rubber outsole I1 (withor without rubberheel I8 as preferred) and rubber 4o foot enclosure orwall I9 of approximately ankle height extending upwardly from the rubbersole I1 and provided with a fabric lining 20. the lower edge of which islasted between the outsole I1 and margin of the insole I6 in the usualmanner,

it being understood that the rubber foot portion I0 is appropriatelystiifened and reinforced as required in accordance with usual practicealv though such stiffening and reinforcing is not fully shown nordescribed in detail since it forms no part of the present invention.

Instead, however, of securing the lower margin of the leather upper IIto the outside of the upper margin of the rubber foot portion I0 whichis the common and prevailing practice in making footwear of thischaracter and has the disadthe bellows tongue, and the lower vantagesabove mentioned, I iuterpose the lower margin 2| of the leather upper Ilbetween the upper margin of the rubber wall Il and the upper margin ofthe lining 20 and secure this leather margin 2| by several rows ofstitches 22 directly to the lining 20 and also directly to a reinforcingfabric strip 23 which is attached securely in any convenient manner tothe lining 2l below the leather margin 2| as indicated at 24.

The rubber wall Il overlies the fabric strip 23 and is vulcanizedthereto and thus covers the outer ends of the stitches 22 and seals thestitch openings so that the stitching is thoroughly protected againstexterior exposure and scuiiing, and moreover this construction affords aneat and finished appearance kat the Joint which may be enhanced byforming the rubber wall Il along its upper margin with rib or beadformations 2l if desired.

Moreover the lower edge of the leather upper is enclosed between thefabrics 20 and 23 and tightly stitched between the fabrics 20 and 23which are also preferably adhesively bonded to the leather, and thus theleather upper is not only iirmly secured to the rubber foot portion Ibut a smooth surfaced joint is provided at the inside of the shoe whichavoids the discomfort and annoyance experienced with previous leathertopped rubber footwear of this character.

In manufacturing footwear in accordance with this invention the footlining 2|! and fabric reinforcing 23 are attached to the lower margin 2|of the leather upper as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 before the foot portionI0 is assembled and vulcanized.

In preparing this combined leather upper and foot lining. the liningblank, which is frictioned or gum coated over the entire outer surfaceis shaped in approximately the foot covering form as shown in Fig. 2with the ends taped together at the back as shown at 28 and notched andtaped at the toe as indicated at 21 and this lining blank is cementedalong its upper margin to the inside of the lowex` margin 2| of theleather upper. The reinforcing strip 23 which extends entirely aroundthe shoe is frictioned or gum coated on both sides and cemented to theouter side ofthe leather margin and a substantial width of this strip 23extends below the leather margin 2| and is firmly cemented to the'lining20. A numberof rows of stitches 22 are applied entirely through thefabrics 20 and 23 vand the intermediatef leather margin 2| either beforeor after [the c'ementing of the lower portion of the strip Mito thelining 20.

'I'he thus assembled leather upper and lining is then applied on a last,and the rubber foot portion built up thereon in the usual manner ofassembling rubber footwear with the lower margin ofthe lining 20 lastedbetween the insole i6 and outsole Il and the rubber side wall I9adhesively secured to the lining 20 and extended upwardly over thefabric strip to which it is also adhesively secured, and after beingthus assembled the entire structure is placed in a vulcanizer and therubber portions thereof vulcanizedl care being taken that th'evulcanizing temperature is not sufficient to dry up any moisture in theleather and cause the latter to burn.

A- vulcanizable rubber cement is employed in adhesively securing thevarious parts together land when thus vulcanized all of the cementedpartsare securely bonded together and the leather 'upper inseparablysecured to the rubber foot portion. 4

Instead of having the lining 20st the inner side of the leather margin2| and the fabric strip 22 at the outer side thereof', these parts maybe reversed with the lining 2l continued up between the rubber wall I3and the leather margin 2| in which case the fabric strip 23 would belocated at the inside of the shoe and cemented to the inner face of thelining 20 and be secured to the inner 'surface of the leather margin 2|.The lining 2l. or the fabric 23 if these parts are reversed, may

l0 oi' course be continued up to the top of the leather upper ifdesired.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form I amaware that various modincations can be made without departing from thespirit of my invention, the scope of which is to be determined by theappended claims.

I claim as my invention;

l. An article of the class described having a waterproof foot portionand an upper of nonwaterproof material, said foot portion having alining comprising inner and outer; layers between which the lower marginofi, the upper is secured by mechanical fastenings, and said footportion having a layer of waterproof ma- 25 terial thereon secured tothe outer face of the aforesaid outer lining layer and covering saidmechanical fastenings.

2. An article of footwear of the class described having a leather upperand a fabric lined vulcanized rubber foot portion, the fabric lininghaving inner and outer laminations which extend around the tcp of thefoot portion and have the lower margin of the leather upper securedtherebetween, and the-vulcanized rubber of the foot portion beingextended over and vulcanized to the outer face of the outer fabriclamination. 3. An article of footwear of the class described having aleather upper and a fabric lined vulcanized rubber foot portion, areinforcing strip of fabric extending around the foot portion at the topand spaced from the corresponding portion of the lining to accommodatethe lower margin of the leather upper therebetween, rows of stitchesextending around the top of the rubber foot portion and engaged throughthe lining and reinforcing strip and the interposed margin of theleather upper to secure the latter to the rubber foot portion, and saidfoot portion having side wall of rubber therearound extending over ndvulcanized to the outer surface of the out- An article of footwear ofthe class described lalving a leather upper and a vulcanized rubber footportion, said foot portion having a fabric lining with inner and outerlaminations bev tweenwhich the lower margin of the leather upper isadhesively secured, a plurality of rows of stitches around the top ofthe rubber foot portion extending through both fabric laminations andthe interposed leather margin, and said rubber foot portion having anouter surrounding wall of vulcanized rubber extended over and vulcanizedto the outer face of the outer lamina- 05 tion so as to cover the outerends of the stitches and seal the stitch openings.

5. An article of footwear of the class described comprising, a leatherupper, a rubber foot portion of substantially ankle height, a fabric1ining within said foot portion and extending approximately to the topthereof, said leather upper extending below the upper edge of saidlining in overlapping relation therewith, a reinforcing strip of fabricon the side o f the overlapping portion of said upper opposite thelining,

edge of said lining on the outer side thereof, a reinforcing strip offabric extending around the lower margin of said upper on the sidethereof opposite the lining, rows of stitches engaged through saidlining and reinforcing strip and the interposed margin of said upper tosecure the latter to the foot portion, the rubber of said fo'ot portionextending over the reinforcing strip and covering the outer ends of saidstitches.

CONRAD FERRET'IIE.

